Ex-firefighter Charged With Setting Blazes

January 19, 1990|By STEPHANIE SHARPE Staff Writer

GLOUCESTER — A former firefighter with the Abingdon Volunteer Fire Department, who was charged in November with setting seven of about 30 suspicious fires throughout the county since mid-August, has been charged with two more of those fires.

Robert Allen Tillage, 20, of Hayes, was charged Jan. 9 with two felony counts of malicious burning in two structure fires, said Sgt. Michael Nicely of the Sheriff's Department.

On Sept. 13, Tillage allegedly set fire to an old, unoccupied store on Route 636 that belonged to Ben Borden. Nearly a month later, on Oct. 8, Tillage allegedly set fire to a barn that belonged to Fred Stratton along the same road. Stratton lost about $17,000 in hay and farming equipment from that blaze, Nicely said.

Tillage and five other county residents, including another Abingdon volunteer firefighter, were arrested in November and charged in the county-wide burning spree that damaged about two dozen county trash dumpsters and several buildings.

Tillage was charged with setting seven dumpster fires. Former volunteer firefighter John Hogge, 20, was charged with setting six additional dumpster fires. Both volunteers worked many of the fires they now have been charged with setting, said Abingdon Fire Chief Herbert Austin.

Michael Green, 19, was charged with setting one dumpster fire. Dale Cox, 19, was charged with setting a dumpster fire and with burning down an old, abandoned store.

Two juveniles also were charged. One allegedly helped set the Stratton barn fire, Nicely said. The other was charged with setting a dumpster ablaze. All the suspects live in Hayes, where most of the blazes occurred.

The dumpster fires are misdemeanor offenses that carry a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The structure fires are felony offenses and bring two to 10 years in prison.

Nicely said none of the suspects has been tried. He said his investigation is continuing.